This invention relates to a carton that has the dual function of being a shipper carton and a display carton. More particularly, this invention relates to a carton for a plurality of generally rectangular articles where the carton can be opened for he removal of all articles or it can be opened so as to display the articles at a point of sale and for removal of articles one at a time by purchasers.
Products are placed into shipping cartons for transport from the place of manufacture to the point of sale. Such shipping cartons are of a corrugate fiberboard of sufficient integrity to withstand the rigorous handling during storage and transport. During these times the cartons are stacked on pallets and at times one pallet stacked onto another. In addition, the cartons may be dropped from a height of six feet or more. In all of this handling and storage, the carton as a shipper package must protect the packaged articles from damage.
In addition, to use as a shipping carton, it is useful if this same carton can be used to display the articles at the point of sale. In order to be a good display carton it must be consistently operable in a particular manner. Further, it must hold the articles in a manner so that they are effectively displayed. To be effectively displayed the purchase must be able to see substantially all of the front surface of the article. This includes a view of substantially all of the trademarks and trade dress.
In the present instance the most preferred articles to be placed into the carton are antiperspirant and deodorant products. These are in oval to rectangular packages. These products have rigid containers with the trademarks and trade dress on the front surface of the antiperspirant and deodorant containers.
The shipper and display carton of the present invention solves the problem of a dual function carton for articles of a shape of antiperspirant and deodorant sticks. The carton can be opened easily to remove all of the articles, or it can be opened so that it holds the articles in place and displays the articles at the point of sale. This carton can contain multiple aligned channels which hold and display an article. The carton is produced from a single carton blank through a series of folds. The net result is an aid to the retailer at the point of sale.
This invention is directed to a dual function carton, the carton blank from which the dual function carton is made, and the method of making the dual function carton from the carton blank. The carton has a plurality of channels for containing the articles. The articles are contained in each channel in a row. In a preferred mode the carton is comprised of two channels having a common base, each channel having one exterior sidewall and one adjacent sidewall, and seal flaps closing each end of each channel. The adjacent sidewalls are attached at their base and are adjacent to a tear strip in the base of the carton. On the top panel of each channel there is a pull tab for the removal of substantially all of the top panel and a significant portion of each side panel of each channel. In this mode a large portion of a channel is opened with the articles then being displayed in a neat and orderly fashion. When the carton is emptied it is replaced with another carton.
The channels also can be separated so that the articles in each channel can be displayed separately. This is accomplished by removing the tear strip in the base panel and severing the channels, one from the other. The pull tab for each channel is pulled and a substantial portion of the top panel and a significant portion of each sidewall of each channel is removed for the separate display of the articles in each channel. One channel of articles can be stored and displayed at a later time.
If the carton is not to be used as a display carton, it is opened by means of a tear strip on the base panel which opens all channels of articles at once. The articles then are quickly removed and placed on a shelf for display and sale.
The carton is made from a single carton blank. The carton blank has as a contiguous arrangement, a bottom panel with an approximately medial tear strip, a first channel sidewall panel, a first channel top wall panel, a first channel other sidewall panel, a second channel sidewall panel, a second channel top wall panel, and a second channel other sidewall panel. Attached to the base panel to which the described panels are attached in a contiguous arrangement, there is a glue flap. On the transverse ends of each panel there are seal flaps for closing the folded carton. The first channel top wall panel and second channel top wall panel each have a pull tab for the removal of substantially all of each top wall panel and a significant portion of each sidewall panel. This is for opening the carton for use as a display carton. If the objective is to fully open the carton for the removal of all articles, the tear strip in the base panel is removed which automatically opens each channel of articles.
The shipper and display carton is formed from the carton blank by folding the first channel sidewall panel upwards at about a 90xc2x0 angle and then folding the top wall panel inwardly over the base panel at about a 90xc2x0 angle. The first channel other sidewall panel then is folded downwardly toward the base panel at an angle of about 90xc2x0. The second channel sidewall panel is folded upwardly at an angle of about 180xc2x0 with the second channel top wall panel folded outwardly about parallel to the base panel. The second channel other sidewall panel is folded downwardly at an angle of about 90xc2x0 toward the base panel and is attached to the glue flap. When the articles are within the channels, the seal flaps are folded over onto each other and glued into place where needed to close the carton, but not to interfere in opening the carton in any mode.
The carton is opened depending on whether it also is to be used as a display carton. If it is to be used as a display carton, the pull tab on each channel is pulled to remove substantially all of the top wall panel and a significant portion of each sidewall panel of each channel. This can be while the channels are interconnected or if the channels have been separated. The carton or a separated channel then is placed on the shelf. Optionally the carton can be fully opened by removing the base panel tear strip which fully opens each channel so that the articles can quickly be removed.
The carton can be made of a paperboard or fiberboard. Preferably it is a corrugated paperboard.